Notes: Hello. I have redone this story, so that it can be read in a new way with my current writing abilities. I changed the story a little, but not drastically. I have not read the Kakashi Gaiden, so please don't say anything about that. :) I hope you will enjoy this and review if you can.
Summary: Kakashi is experiencing a hard day. He can't get his past out of his mind. When he leaves his students to clear his mind, they are attacked by an enemy. He expresses a unimaginable threat: "I will spare one of their lives." You choose. Will he choose Sakura, Sasuke or Naruto?
History: This story takes place 2 years after Sasuke is captured. They manage to rescue him from Orochimaru, and he gains a full recovery. They become a team again and work hard on rebuilding their relationship. Orochimaru managed to escape from the team and his current status is unknown.
The sparkling rain fell from the light grey heavens in the little village of Konoha as dawn approached. It was spring and the pure flowers were blooming with all their beauty, like they did every year. The trees wore a majestic crown of blossoms with pride and they created a harmonic feeling in every heart. Everything was covered with a endless veil of whiteness. Kakashi awoke to a soft patting. He gently opened his eyes, feeling his head ache dreadfully. A blinding flash of light surged through the endless sky. It rumbled strongly. He looked out of the window to see floating petals adorn the stretching sky, like bright stars. The rain seemed to replace the suffocating silence that usually was present when he awoke. He did not really care though, for nightmares he had experienced during the night plagued his thoughts, blocking off everything else.
'Why do I still see you in my dreams?'
He slipped steadily out of his bed with a small amount of hesitation. He forcefully ignored it and walked slowly across the bare room. After preparing himself for another long day, he vaguely realized that he was already late.
'They will just have to wait...'
He narrowed his eyes. There was something inevitable he felt his heart forcing him to attend to. He had to pay his respects to his fallen comrades.
'Obito...'
Meanwhile, team seven was waiting in a thick forest of blossoms wearing the colour white proudly. They were surrounded by them. Their teacher was late, which was not surprising. In order to make time fly by like a bird, they trained mildly. While Naruto and Sasuke sparred enthusiastically, Sakura became slightly distracted, for the flowers were so captivating, she could not help but stare admiringly at them. The flowers were like unique snowflakes, each one radiating an individual beauty. She observed them with amazed emerald eyes and understood quickly that she adored them greatly. Suddenly, her thoughts were shattered by a familiar voice.
"They are beautiful, right?" She quickly turned around to greet him with anger for being so late. It was her immediate reaction to his lazy comment.
"Kakashi-sensei, you are la.." She began, but she could not find herself to finish her accusing comment. Although Kakashi wore his infamous mask, she could easily tell that something was bothering him deeply. His visible, onyx eye was shining with a faint sadness and his body language seemed to radiate a indescribable fatigue. His unfocused eye suddenly closed. She stared at him with wide eyes, for it was such a rarity to see him like this.
"Kakashi-sensei, you are late again!" Naruto shouted loudly, who was obviously unaware of Kakashi's different attitude. He reopened his ebony eye.
"I am sorry for coming late..." He muttered, stroking his silvery strands of untamed hair. He unleashed a heavy sigh and greeted his students with a weak nod.
'That was strange, He did not make up an excuse!'
Naruto's sun kissed face was adorned with a slight look of puzzlement. His sapphire eyes glowed with uncertainty.
"Kakashi-sensei, are you okay? You look tired..." Sakura finally questioned with a low tone.
"Hm? Oh, I just could not get any sleep last night. Damn rain..." He answered, trying to sound convincing and sincere. He felt guilt sting him harshly for lying, but he did not want to worry his students. They probably did not really care anyway. He impulsively rubbed his eye and rested his hand on the bridge of his nose, trying to erase the visions that had been appearing freely since the early morning. He could see a particular face so clearly, even though his mind was clouded with heavy thoughts.
'Why? Why do I have to remember?'
"What are we going to do today, sensei?" Sasuke asked, his voice woven with a mild curiosity. He had not spoken much and his genuine interest in gaining strength reawakened his enthusiasm. His wispy locks of ebony framed his porcelain face more evidently due to the hard rain.
"Hn? We shall repeat yesterdays training..." He mumbled, irritated by the throbbing pain in his head. He unconsciously placed his fingers on his temple, despite the fact that he was clearly aware that it would do nothing to placate it.
After some time, he could still vividly feel the intense pain surge through his head and body. He was rather distracted, but attempted to mainly focus on supervising his students.
"Sensei, I am getting cold, do we have to train in the rain?" Naruto asked with a complaining tone. He cradled himself with his shivering arms. Kakashi looked at him seriously. He narrowed his ebony eye.
"Yes, Naruto, one has to learn to withstand the rain and cold. It is an important part of training." He said, simply. Naruto reverted to his serious optimism. He regarded training as an extremely important and obligatory part of life. He clenched his fists with enthusiasm.
"Ah, okay! A little bit of rain won't stop me." He admitted energetically, raising a fist in the damp air. Kakashi could not resist smiling, even though it was a frail one.
'His confidence never fails to impress me.'
"But… Kakashi-sensei, how can we withstand it besides wearing the proper equipment? It is an element that craves tolerance and adaptation." Sakura commented, shivering slightly. Sasuke listened carefully, trying to ignore the cold that seeped through his body. Kakashi admired her impressive question and tried to sound more eager when answering her.
"During a mission, specific equipment can hinder a ninja from being completely efficient. Stealth and such is important, and it can ruin that." He paused and looked at his eager students, who were gazing at him with wide eyes.
"So, we must turn to other methods, like some sort of technique?" Sasuke asked with a slightly broken voice.
"Yeah…" Kakashi answered, casually.
"Well, teach us." Naruto suggested, growing rather impatient. Excitement grew in his cerulean eyes and his voice was woven with eagerness. Without delaying, Kakashi quickly commenced his tutelage.
"Okay, listen carefully. One can withstand almost any element, if one blocks out their senses. This can be acquired by completely clearing your mind." Kakashi spoke, clearly. They wore masks of confusion.
"How do we do that?" Sakura asked with a curious voice.
"When it comes to the cold, focus on something that warms your heart and hold your fingers like this." He uttered whilst giving them a graphic demonstration. His gaze was stern.
"Wow!" Naruto blurted out, his eyes were wide with amazement and surprise. Sasuke gave him a questioning glare, his onyx eyes glowing slightly. Knowing the meaning in his eyes, Kakashi decided to answer his unasked question.
"It is important to focus whilst you form the seal with your fingers. Plus, this consumes a fair amount of chakra, for it starts to flow through your entire body rapidly. Only use it when necessary." He declared, firmly. He gave them an encouraging smile to attempt the complicated technique. They began immediately. Their fingers were entangled strategically as they focused deeply on blocking out the cold. Naruto seemed to be having trouble as his already uncontrollable shivering was diminishing his concentration. Sasuke and Sakura remained quiet despite the cold that trickled down their spines.
"Damn, this is really hard!" Naruto shouted, frustration growing within him. He had not considered giving up though. However, before he could retry, a voice penetrated his actions.
"Why am I not surprised?" Sasuke mumbled, his tone full of irony, which sank the entire level of work. For once, Kakashi was slightly irritated by his comment.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked, trying to remain calm, but his eyes were sharp and shining like daggers. A feeling of anger burned inside of him and one could see it in his eyes.
"You know what I mean..." He responded, giving him a hard glare. Naruto grew enraged by his behaviour. They had learned to comprehend one another, but this time, Naruto could not ignore his feelings of anger. He gritted his teeth and his clenched fists were shaking wildly. Impulsively, he took a step forward. Sakura watched helplessly, her eyes glowing with worry.
"Shut up!" He warned, as he approached him quickly. Sasuke prepared himself. Before Naruto could retaliate in any way possible though, a dark voice filled the air which caused them both to halt.
"Stop it, both of you." Kakashi said, sharply. He gazed at his three students with a piercing stare. They were affected deeply and stared at him silently.
"Can't you two cooperate? Raised voices will not solve anything and certainly not hurting each other." He admitted, his voice breaking in the end. He shifted his gaze to the blossom-carpeted ground. Diverse as his students were, they all reacted in different ways. Sakura seemed disappointed and Naruto's wide eyed expression indicated his apparent shock. Sasuke's cold eyes had melted slightly, for they glittered with regret. He continued, nevertheless.
"Have you forgotten what I have taught you?" He whispered, harshly. He felt a faint pain run uncontrollably through his body again and disappointment filled his mind. He wanted to reach them somehow and convince them that they needed each other. He mentally threw in the towel and sighed deeply.
"Kakashi-sensei, don't get so worked up." Naruto said, softly. He thought maybe he was joking, but the next sentence proved him wrong.
"Take a break. I am going for a walk..." Kakashi commanded with a strong tone. He turned his back to them. The petals that seemed almost like feathers floated gracefully around them, like free clouds.
Kakashi wandered aimlessly through the endless forest. Glittering raindrops danced down the countless amounts of petals. As he was blinded by the strong whiteness, he pondered profoundly. His pensiveness soon blocked out the brightness and the sound of the repetitive rain. He thought about his students. He indeed grew tired of their behaviour sometimes, but they had gone through so much together and endured hell. After three years, they had learned to appreciate and comprehend each other. Their relationship was not flawless, but it was strong. They had individually contributed to building that. They had acknowledged each other and although they argued bitterly at times, when they cooperated, they were an excellent team, which would only progress. He did not intend to overreact like that, but when he saw them, he only saw Obito and himself.
After a few moments, he entered an empty clearing with a shimmering pond in the middle of the lonely area. He approached the water that seemed almost divine, for the darkness in some way radiated an indescribable divinity. It was as if it harboured fallen stars due to its masterful glow. He thoughtlessly walked on top of it. The ripples expanded gracefully as he stepped carefully to the middle. A thousand pure petals and many lilies vibrantly adorned the pond. A bolt of lightening flashed silently in the distance. He looked up at the stretching sky that was veiled with an incomprehensible greyness. He closed his eyes, letting the rain wash away his thoughts and his pain. It did not seem to help though, despite the relaxing atmosphere. Unforgettable thoughts were trapped in his mind. They could not escape, even though he wanted them to.
'I am sorry I could not save you.'
Elsewhere, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were sitting underneath a weeping tree. Its branches hung over them protectively, the petals acting like a gentle shelter. They made an attempt to hide themselves from the rain, but it was rather pointless. They were all intoxicated with speechlessness after the previous conversation with their teacher. Sakura felt stuck in the middle as she stared at Naruto and Sasuke, who were still rather irritated at each other. They listened pensively to the falling rain. After some time, Sakura felt the need to break the suffocating silence, for it was swallowing her mercilessly.
"Hey, I wonder where Kakashi-sensei went…" Sakura blurted out, uncertainty dominating her low voice. She felt insecure, for the atmosphere was extremely tense.
"I'm sure he'll be back soon." Naruto answered, sincerely. His eyes were glistening with reassurance. His positive attitude immediately lifted her once doubtful feelings.
"I hope so. You know, I am slightly worried. Did you not notice? He looked so troubled." Sakura admitted, truthfully. Sasuke nodded sharply with agreement.
"He was not acting like himself at least." Naruto added, rather loudly. He closed his eyes with irritation, but worry consumed his heart.
Kakashi was a mysterious man who concealed his past masterfully. He had built walls around him that were unbreakable. There were so many unanswered questions. Although their trust and reliance was strong, they were growing curious, despite his loyalty towards them. They always wondered why he wore a mask, why he was constantly delayed and generally what had formed him to become so powerful. Their hearts would open up his sooner or later. As their thoughts continued to drift through their tired minds, a feeling of insecurity and danger awoke Sakura. She stopped playing with her graceful strands of pink hair and looked around instinctively. She tried to find the answer to her unspoken question, but it was not to be found. The peculiar force entangled her greatly. She impulsively stood up and scanned the faces of her two comrades.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, worriedly. Suddenly, he felt the same sensation run through his body. It was so powerful; it seemed to freeze his blood.
"Hey, do you feel anything?" She asked, cautiously. Sasuke met her emerald eyes with his onyx pair. She looked at him seriously. He sensed an indescribable feeling engulf him like fire.
"I do... It's not Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto muttered, softly. The strange aura seemed to consume them completely. It was very faint, yet powerful. It was cold like snow and burning hot at the same time. Naruto grew alarmed, for a sudden feeling of familiarity stung him sharply.
"We are not alone.." Sasuke warned, scanning his surroundings thoroughly. Suddenly, they heard a cold voice that brought fear to their hearts. Naruto's jumped wildly.
"You are correct, Sasuke-kun." The voice uttered. Its dreadfulness filled the air like unstoppable smoke. Suddenly, he appeared. His black hair that matched the endless night framed his face that resembled a murderous snake. He stared at them with his gleaming yellow eyes and laughed bitterly.
"Orochimaru..." Sasuke growled.
"Orochimaru… You bastard!" Naruto shouted loudly, his voice filled with anger and hate. Sakura felt her heart beat violently. She tried to remain calm, but found Orochimaru's intense presence indescribably intimidating.
'Kakashi-sensei, where are you?' They thought simultaneously.
"Brace yourself." Sasuke warned, grabbing a sharp weapon from his pocket. He pointed it threateningly at his opponent. Naruto and Sakura followed suit.
"I agree…" Orochimaru hissed. Suddenly, he rapidly performed a hand seal. He chanted inaudibly and the genin reacted with gasps.
"A hand seal! Damn it!" Naruto impulsively charged forward, aiming to stop Orochimaru from unleashing his unknown power.
"Naruto!" Sakura called worriedly. Naruto forcefully ignored her and formed a hand seal, trying to rid of the cold feeling that raced through his body like ice.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." He yelled, piercingly. Instantly, ten clones appeared, jumping wildly in the air. Naruto's eyes seemed to be in a process of alteration, from sky to fire. His eyes glowed with a unique vibrancy and two onyx diamonds formed. His powerful emotions engulfed his heart. The clones instinctively attacked him, but Orochimaru seemed to dodge them masterfully. He attacked them one by one with inhuman speed, causing them to fade away. Naruto, appearing suddenly from behind the ribbons of cloudy dust, attempted to impale him with his dagger, but Orochimaru blocked easily. He brutally threw Naruto to the harsh ground.
Despite coughing up crimson blood, he stood up again. A red chakra formed and consumed him, as if he were on fire. As Orochimaru admired the power of the monster that resided within him, Sasuke secretly approached him from behind, attempting to appear undetectable. Just before he could execute his planned action though, the world began to vigorously rumble and three tremendous snakes sprouted from the ground, like free trees. Sasuke, who was shocked by the sudden appearance of the reptiles, was unexpectedly struck by Orochimaru, who held him dangerously by the neck.
"Sasuke! Let him go, you bastard." Naruto called, ready to perform his secret technique, Rasengan, but Orochimaru stopped him when he began to eagerly express his threat of killing Sasuke if he did so.
"If you move, my hand snaps Sasuke-kun's neck." Orochimaru said with pleasure painted on his pale face. Two snakes surrounded Naruto, eagerly watching him and ready to attack him if he moved. Sakura, who decided that action was needed from her part too, took a step forward. She disappeared through the damp and thin air and instantly reappeared underneath her enemy, punching strongly through the ground and aiming desperately for Orochimaru's body. Pieces of earth flew in the sky, adorning the sky for a few moments, like stars. Orochimaru evaded, but was forced to let go of Sasuke. As he did so, Sasuke reacted at once, cursing himself for getting caught in Orochimaru's clutches. Orochimaru deflected Sakura's second attack with an impenetrable barrier, causing Sakura to fly aimlessly through the sky. She landed unsteadily and harshly on the ground.
With Sasuke's infamous sharingan ablaze with fury, he performed a rapid hand seal. He drew his breath and blew a great ball of glowing fire which drowned Orochimaru. As he effortlessly deflected the swallowing flames, Sasuke wildly burst through the diminishing fire and punched him solidly in the ribs. The unexpected move caused Orochimaru to fly uncontrollably through the air. He landed steadily on his feet, but anger grew inside of him and his repulsive eyes began to burn. He gave the snakes a silent order and they obeyed without hesitation.
"You have grown in strength, but this is the end." He said, with an entertained smile plastered on his unreadable face. Naruto watched helplessly as one of the snakes left him and approached Sakura, who was breathing heavily after Orochimaru's harsh attack. Before Naruto could execute a single action, the snake attacked him relentlessly. He evaded smoothly and as he drew some space between them, formed the Rasengan. A swirling ball of light was born in the palm of his hand, like a precious star and as strong as a merciless tornado. He immediately aimed at the snakes slithering body. The snake tried to slide away, but Naruto was too fast and managed to get a direct hit. The snake fell lifelessly to the ground. Orochimaru seemed to be effected by this, for the snakes were like a part of him. He winced slightly.
"You did it, Naruto!" Sakura said, hope filling her emerald eyes as she fended off the lethal snake.
"I'm coming for you, Sakura-chan!" He answered, his eyes narrowing. He tried to move, but his body refused to cooperate. He felt a strong sting surge through his entire body. His burning red eyes widened with pain and shock.
'What happened?'
"Foolish one… Keep your eyes on the enemy, not your comrade who is in danger." Orochimaru snickered. Naruto managed to comprehend what had just happened. The snake, which was supposedly dead, had suddenly reawakened and secretly attacked him. His sharp teeth were embedded in his neck. Sakura gasped with fright and concern as she watched her team-mate fall to the forest floor. He refused to fall though and recuperated, maintaining his balance.
"Don't mess with me!" He cried, his voice lingered, but it was full of anger.
"Behind you, Naruto!" Sasuke called and impulsively ran over to protect his comrade. He shielded him from the other snake, receiving a mighty blow. He was able to block, but he felt his body stiffen and freeze. He realized that he could not move, due to a mysterious aura consuming him. He heard Orochimaru laugh bitterly.
"You are trapped in my jutsu, Sasuke-kun." He muttered, approaching him. Sasuke gritted his teeth, his fear diminishing, yet worry rising greatly. He and Naruto were caught.
'Sakura!'
"Go to sleep." Orochimaru commanded, quietly. He struck Sasuke harshly on a certain point on his neck. No matter how strong one was, one could not oppose from falling after being hit exactly and accordingly on that certain vital point. Sasuke's last thoughts were of Sakura. Naruto attempted to retaliate, but he had lost all his strength. His vision was blurry like mist and he could barely move, despite his limitless thoughts of pushing himself. Orochimaru watched him amusingly as he unwillingly fell.
"Sas... Sasuke..." Naruto whispered as he landed harshly on the wet ground beside him. Sasuke's dark locks concealed his face. Naruto looked up to see Sakura, her eyes full of fright, yet bravery was forcefully mixing with her other emotions. She was trying to be strong, for her precious comrades.
"It's no use, Sakura-san... You can't defeat me." Orochimaru admitted, casually. His repulsive eyes were sharp and glowing freely. She tried to punch him with her strong fists, but as her fist flew through the air, Orochimaru made no attempt to evade. He just stood there.
'Why is he not moving?'
Before she could land her threatening blow on him, she found her body failing to obey her mind. Her eyes widened as she realized she was caught in his jutsu. She was acting to recklessly, her emotions consuming her sensibility.
"Worry clouds the human mind." Orochimaru whispered as he mirrored the same attack on her as he did on Sasuke. She fell aimlessly on the shimmering ground, rain drops flying beautifully all around her.
'Kakashi-sensei...'
"Sakura…" Naruto said, loudly, yet his voice was broken.
Her vibrant eyes closed. Naruto, who was still awake, helplessly watched Orochimaru approach him. Naruto's eyes were burning. The cold greyness that enveloped the world enhanced them in a powerful way.
"Oh, do not worry. That poison was not fatal. I need to keep you alive for a little longer." The enemy spoke, clearly. Naruto's vision darkened drastically.
"What do you plan to do, you asshole?" Naruto asked, weakly, yet anger resounded majestically in his voice. Orochimaru smiled in a sickening way.
"I intend to play a game with your teacher, so my vengeance will be more pleasurable." Orochimaru admitted, staring at Naruto belittlingly. Naruto snarled with anger, before darkness overtook his mind.
"Kakashi-sensei..." He managed to whisper, before the ocean in his eyes died. They closed.
Please review. Thank youuuuu:D